Iran nuclear deal: Kerry, Levrov join talks in Geneva

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Last Updated: Saturday, November 23, 2013, 14:02  

Washington: US Secretary of State John Kerry has joined the talks on Iran's nuclear deal in Geneva on Saturday.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki had said in a statement on Friday that Kerry would be joining the talks with the goal of continuing to help narrow the differences and move closer to an agreement.

The Secretary Of State decided after consulting with European Union top foreign policy official Catherine Ashton and lead negotiator of the big powers in the talks with Iran.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had earlier arrived in Geneva.

The agreement would entitle Iran to curb its atomic activity in exchange of some sanctions relief.

Leaders from the six world powers-United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China- have been negotiating with Iran to reach an agreement to delay Iran's nuclear program. The larger deal is being worked out which would prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said that a major hindrance involved that constraints Iran’s effort is to build a heavy water reactor near the town of Arak that would produce plutonium. A senior European diplomat had also said on Friday that Arak was a sticking point.

Kerry had earlier said that United States has asked Iran to agree to a “complete freeze over where they are today” and that the reactor Iran is building at Arak would be covered by the agreement.

While Iran has been maintaining for years that it aims to use nuclear program for peaceful purposes, the International Atomic Energy Agency claims that secret Iranian nuclear sites work on nuclear detonators and implosion devices with assistance from foreign scientists.

The US, Israel and European nations have been suspecting Iran to be developing a nuclear weapons program.

In return for an interim agreement, the United States would provide about $6 billion to $7 billion in sanctions relief.

First Published: Saturday, November 23, 2013, 10:01